The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-31
COL. JOHN R, FELLOWS.
His Honorable Career as a
Soldier and Lawyer.
Ills LONG FIGHT FOR THE UNION.

Ills LONG FIGHT FOR THE UNION.
He Slaves or seeession In Arkansas Untn
Sumter IL Fired On-Rapid Promotion for
Gallant Services In tho Army-Made Pris.
oner ut Port Hudsen nad Held TIL the
War Ended-oov. scy -aour's Interest La
Him and Eaerts In His BehnI.
Col. John h. Fellows, the candidate for
District Attorney on the Union Democratic
ticket, Is In personal appearance pleasant
faced. good-humored gentleman, with a figure
Of comfortable rotundity. There is nothing in
this plsasantness OF expression that is incom-
patible with the strength and astuteness that
are also visible, and nothing in tho rounded
figure to interfere with activity and energy to
match these qualities physically. In short. the
CoonePs So years OF varied usefulness are
but the steps to his position and condition.
correctly to be described as the prime of life
This is the man upon whom slandsrous at
tacks have been made. the bitterness vru-
lence. and fslsity OF which have been unparal-
leled in politics. The attempts to malgn his
character have been self-contradictory. and
weakness and the rest borne down by the
weight Of testimony against them. This testi.
mony was given unsolicited by residents Of tho
neighborhood of his homo in q gathering that
was independent Of party affiliations, and de-
voted only to truth and justice.
There are other assaults that have been
made upon Col. Follows. yet moro das-
tardly. and, II possible. yet moro false. Tho
day is past when among those who were SOL
diers, either Of the North or South. man can
be injured by raising the cry Of "Reb 4" or
"Yank against him. The men Of each side
that was. Of the Union that is. respect each
other heartily. But with equal unanimity they
detest the irregular fighter, the bushwhacker.
and the guerilla. 30 some Of tho enemies in pol
itics Of Col Fellows, finding that no attention
could DO attracted to an effort to cry him down
as rebel" resorted to despicabls tactics OF
suggestion and innuendo in the effort to fix
upon him the stigma Of guerilla" Nothing
direct or straightforward was brought out. It
was not that kind OF fighters who were doing
the work. The statements were attributed to
an ANONYMOUS source, and were confined to
Ia He never said what regiment no BELONGED
to. and such cunningly suggestive but indi-
r sns that W. were to have
portance to be denied. These things, and the
publication OF q number Of incomplete skele-
preparation from tho "Wsr Records" and
other sources Of this sketch Of the Colonss LIE.
1882 Wha rs ss sas oa born On II s M
father moved from that city to farm In Sara
toga county. fow miles northwest Of Mechan-
Fellows In tho few years Of schooling Of which
a .r a. ths pSrSSd
st Tho H~sshalI House IlsaSSdriSo. - Aeu
, Some years after l 5he war Gel Fellows. on
Ellsworth. in the cemetery there. was un-
marked sayeby pine pole erected at its head.
'ast
seription to the fund is the largest Individual
now marks the hero's resting place.
In 1850 Fl Fellows: then youth Of IS. went
there. He was merchant and could Offer S adj
vantages to the youth that the struggling farm
or OF rsaratoga COUNTY could not reach for his
step took young Fellows; and there lie studied
his profession by day, IN the law office of Judge
1a.e s III b with bs BIS as G e
ucation, up to the standard that his lack Of
early an had thus far rendered i'm
pleted his studies IN the higher branches of
English . and took him into III classics: Wien
aDGT h ssst rae
preme Court This entitled him to Practice S
n al the Courts OF the State. as the Supreme
IL
sns q be- ri e FL
terstats Go@meree aW was his paptner n'
~ in 1860 he was an slector on the Bell and
Everett ticket for the State e with such
Thompson, all like himself-strong Union
He to9k az setiEs par. in the
election was over repeated Il. The " SUPPLE o
mentary stamping OF the State was made
necessary by Tie excitement mt over tho election
Q feeling against abiding by the result, and
the y0ungd Lawyer whose 6ssn eoGHsnes was then
cumstances all the while since, was enlisted in
opposition to these efforts
He took the ground that Lincoln was consti-
State and the people was to acGuiesce in re-
suit obtained lawfully and constitutionally.
this feeins General thronghous the sta, s q
OF the Commonwealth until South Carolina do
to Arkansas and other States to asl; them to
take similar action; These Commissioners
time It took the shape Of electing delegates to
su sss Uar 81 the d1 sae fell Ap to s
ana df0 again his 5arainG ' %oras n6 ad no
81 the sar State Tse Gonven e ss
and It was found that an overwhelming ma
jqrity OF the delegates were IN M favor Of the
was one OF the most exciting ever witnessed
on q political question In this country. and
young Fellows faced more fire, and opposition,
though less SANDER and Misrepresentation.
than he finds arrayed against him in his fight
for the Democracy to-day. But SO well was
the victory gained. so thoroughly was the pub
lie sentiment aroused to, back, the delegates
they had selected, that when the Convention
tabled the ordinance OF secession the State be-
came comparatiyely quiet and the excitement
was held in control.
But tho situation was so uncertain and the
causes OF tho excitement still SO prominent
that the Convention would not dissolve, but
adjourned subject to the call of tho Chair. The
attitude Of South Carolina and other States
aided in keeping the situation unsettled in the
hesitating States. and full Of peril in its un-
certainly. The final step and the firing upon
Fort Sumter precipitated matters. and with
war actually upon them the Conventions re-
assembled and passed the ordinance of seces-
sion. The war feeling swept over the hitherto
doubtful States, as 1t did over the surprised
and startled North, where few had believed the
collision probable.
When troops were raised in Camden young
Fellows enlisted; His regiment was the First
Arkansas, his Colonel James +. Pagan. after
ward Major. Gen. Pagan. He remained with
this regiment from lis formation in the early
spring Of 1861 through campaign In Virginia
and In the following winter with that and tho
SpnDnd TannngSaD IpFinfh